Berthiaume Generic – DDI 2010

Groups

PMC Shift - John, Adam
Afghanistan - Jack, Benson
Iran - Alex Bahls, Ryan, Annalise
Pakistan - Steven, Alex Yared, JunSun

PMC Shift

Background

- Private Military Contractors/Companies/Corporations
o Takes part in armed conflict
o Motivated by private gain
- Iraq
- Afghanistan (part of the surge)
- Blackwater --> Xe (Zee)
- Very controversial

Outline

- US decreasing reliance on PMCs as we naturally pull out from the countries
- Rapid pullout forces reliance on PMCs
- PMCs --> Bad Things
o Instability
o US hostility/resentment
o Terrorism
o Human rights abuses

Cites

Human Rights First, leading think tank on HR work, 5/18/10
(http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/media/usls/2010/alert/624/)

Schulz and Yeung, Director of policy at BAPSC and Strategic Analyst for Canadian National Defense, 2006
(Private Military and Security Companies and Gender, Both have PHDs in international politics)

Singer 07 (Peter Singer, Director, 21st Century Defense Initiative, “The Dark Truth About Blackwater”, 10/2/07, Brookings, http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2007/1002militarycontractors.aspx)

Beyani and Lilly, Lecturer at London school of Economics and Programme manager of security and peacebuilding programme, 2001
(Chaloki and Damian, Regulating Private Military Companies),

Stein, staff writer for Washington post, 6-21
(__http://blog.washingtonpost.com/spy-talk/2010/06/blackwater_deal_puts_officials.html__)

Afghanistan Redeployment

Background

- Pulling troops out of anywhere else sends them to Afghanistan

Outline

- Pulling out of Afghanistan now
- Freeing up troops allows us to stay in Afghanistan
- Impacts
o Instability
o Emboldens Terrorists
o Key to signal the Afghan government to step up

Other Cards We Need

- Will stick to timetable now
- AT: Surge now
- AT: Withdraw from Iraq now

Cites
Martinez, producer for ABC News based in the Washington, D.C. bureau., 5-24
(Luis, Abc News, 2010, “For First Time, More US Troops in Afghanistan than Iraq” http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/05/for-first-time-more-us-troops-in-afghanistan-than-iraq.html)

Wong, ABC News, 09
(Kristina, “White House Defends Afghan War Strategy and July 2011 Drawdown Date” http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-defends-afghanistan-july-2011-troops-drawdown/story?id=9271092)

Zimmerman, The Hill, 6-27
(Eric, 2010, “Levin: Petraeus agrees with setting withdrawal date” http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/105739-levin-petraeus-agrees-with-setting-withdrawal-date)

Bowman, 6-27
(Michael, “New US Commander, But Old Questions About Afghan War” http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/asia/New-US-Commander-for-Afghanistan-Old-Questions-About-War-Effort-97268139.html)

DiMascio, defense writer, 6-30
(Jen, Politico, “Gen. David Petraeus defends Afghan exit date” http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/39160.html)

Iran Redeployment

Background

- Same argument as Afghanistan, but instead argues we’ll send them to Iran

Outline

- Not going to intervene in Iran now
- Freeing up troops allows aggression against Iran
- Impacts
o Instability
o War
o Terror
o Etc.

Other Cards We Need

- US/Iran tensions rising
- Obama would consider military action in Iran
- AT: Nuclear Iran inevitable
- AT: Other things solve
- AT: Withdrawing from Iraq now
- AT: We’d just take them home
- Lots of strikes bad evidence

Cites

AFP, 7/2
(7/2/10, " Iran moves radar to Syria: US official ", http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h2cSs6e7nbaTDeOfreETaFWLaJSg)

Eley, writer for the International Committee of the Fourth International, 07
(Tom, 00 “US Senator Barack Obama and the war in Iraq” http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/feb2007/obam-f13.shtml)

Hirsh, Professor at the University of California, 06
(Jorge, Global Research, “Israel, Iran and the US: Who Will be Blamed for Nuclear War?” http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=2807)

Symonds, 7-5
(Peter, “Harsh new US penalties against Iran” http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/jul2010/iran-j05.shtml)

USA Today, 6/9
(6/9/10, " Obama: Iran has failed to meet responsibilities with nuclear program ", http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/06/obama-iran-has-failed-to-meet-responsibilities-with-nuclear-program/1)

Frank, journalist and noted progressive author for the Independent Media Institute, 08
(Joshua, February 5th, “Why there is no "hope" for "change" http://www.antiwar.com/frank/?articleid=12312)

Seth Hagerty, Captain at United States Marine Corps, May 21, 2009, http://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/50374/1/Hagerty,%20Seth.pdf

Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, and Indyk, director of the Saban Center, 09
(Richard and Martin, “Beyond Iraq” Foreighn Affairs, http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/63718/richard-n-haass-and-martin-indyk/beyond-iraq)

Chossudovsky, Centre for Research on Globalization, 05
(Michel May “Planned US-Israel Attack on Iran” http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO505A.html)

Ullah Jan, Head of Independent Centre of Strategic Studies (Canada, Ottawa), 06
(Abid, 2/20/06, http://mathaba.net/0_index.shtml?x=528456)

Engdahl, Global Research Contributing Editor, 06
(F. William, “Calculating the Risk of War in Iran,” January 29th, http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=%20EN20060129&articleId=1841)

Pakistan Redeployment

Background

- Alternate scenario as Afghanistan/Iran

Outline

- Not going to intervene in Pakistan now
- Freeing up troops allows aggression against Pakistan
- Impacts
o Instability
o War
o Terror
o Etc.

Other Cards We Need

- US/Pakistan tensions rising
- Obama would consider military action in Pakistan
- AT: Nuclear Pakistan inevitable
- AT: Other things solve
- AT: Withdrawing from Iraq now
- AT: We’d just take them home
- Lots of strikes bad evidence